Milwaukee Bucks: Jordan Nwora earning early praise from his peers

The player everyone wanted to see receive a larger role for the Milwaukee Bucks this season was Jordan Nwora.

Well, due to numerous injuries, Nwora has not only managed to get on the floor, but he has seen a prominent role throughout the team’s first four contests. Averaging 24.3 minutes per contest, the sophomore has been thrown into the fire for the Bucks after scarcely playing last season, and he is looking like a natural early on. There have been some growing pains, but that was expected for the 23-year-old as he aims to cement his role in the rotation. Nwora’s efforts have earned him high praise from his teammates, with Jrue Holiday making a very bold claim.

Due to their similar size and knack for scoring the basketball, the comparison is reasonable. Bucks fans will remember a younger Khris Middleton looking to prove himself when he first came to the Bucks, and Nwora is looking to do the same here. He has done a solid job thus far by providing a solid 10.5 points per game off the bench over these four games, giving the Bucks a massive spark on the offensive end. Over these first four games, Nwora has looked like a legitimate rotational piece for the Bucks, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is happy to see him getting meaningful time.

How can Jordan Nwora continue to rise through the ranks of the rotation for the Milwaukee Bucks?

The first thing that will keep Nwora on the floor is his scoring ability. Without key players such as Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez, the Bucks need someone to help pick up the scoring load, and Nwora has done his part. While his 10.5 points have been welcoming, there is room to improve as he is struggling early on with his efficiency, shooting just 37.5 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from behind the arc. That outside shot will be incredibly valuable to the Bucks, and Nwora is already shooting the third most triples on average for the team with 5.3 per game. Once he starts knocking those down more consistently, he will be that much better.

Nwora’s scoring ability was not much of a question mark entering the season with the Bucks. It was clear that he could score at will. The most significant questions revolved around his ability to do everything else on the floor well enough, especially defensively. Thus far, he has looked solid in that regard, but not outstanding. There are still some slip-ups, but Nwora is certainly holding up to a degree that will keep him out there. Also, he is turning into somewhat of a shot-blocking threat as it seems like there is a new highlight every night.

The other concern was his passing ability, but he has already shown leaps in that area early on in the season. Nwora has seven assists to just two turnovers in 97 minutes this season, getting his teammates more involved in the action. For reference, he tallied seven assists to 24 turnovers in 274 minutes during his entire rookie campaign. The improvement is clear as day not just with his passing, but with his game as a whole as he continues to impress.

Nwora has rightfully earned this praise from his star-studded colleagues, and it should give him an added boost of confidence moving forward.

There is still room for the forward to grow, but he looks like a natural early on in the season with more responsibility.